DeRushaEats: Saffron Happy Hour

It's one of the best deals in quality eating. And you won't have a problem finding a seat.

"Where is everyone?" I asked when I walked into Saffron's sexy Warehouse district restaurant during a dinner break last night at work.

I couldn't believe it when my friend Joe and I were the only people there at around 5:30 p.m. Saffron has incredible deals on drinks ($3 taps, $5 wine and cocktails) and their food also is super-cheap.

I really put Saffron in the top five restaurants in the Twin Cities. Chef Sameh Wadi is a master of spice, and not just the hot spice, but the complex spices of the Middle East and Mediterranean.

We tried the french fries with an incredible sheep's milk feta fondue dipping sauce for just $3. That sauce was creamy and had the sweetness of sheep's milk with the sharpness of the feta. Just great.

The Kofta Meatballs are a favorite of mine from the regular menu. It's great to get four of them for again, $3.

The cheese plate was also a great deal: Two cheeses (We had an outstanding blue cheese) plus a homemade yogurt cheese for just $5.

The Charmoula Burgers were the only weak spot for me. The pickled onions were nice, but the burger was nothing special. Instead of spending $5 on that, I would spend $8 on the Lamb bacon, tomato jam and lettuce sandwich—a take on the BLT.

Saffron is a great restaurant, and if you're not stopping for the Happy Hour (Monday through Friday, 4-6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 p.m.-1 a.m.), you're missing out. Sameh is saving a seat for you.

(By the way: Stop by the Best Buy rotunda at the Mall of America all day this Saturday and Sunday to catch me hanging out with Dara, Jason Ross from Le Cordon Bleu, and Cheryl Tiegs for the Minnesota Monthly Local Chef Challenge. It's an Iron Chef-style competition, and since the grand prize is $10,000, you know the chefs are going to be bringing their A games! Plus, Cheryl Tiegs! I've been working out all week so I look good for her.)

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